The New Mexico State Aggies host their in-state rival, the New Mexico Lobos.
Head Coach Richard Pitno’s Lobos’s basketball team looks to complete a season sweep of the Rio Grande Rivalry when it travels to Las Cruces Friday night to play New Mexico State.
The New Mexico Lobos (9-1) will visit the New Mexico State Aggies (5-6) after winning three road games.
They look like a legitimate contender in the Mountain West Conference this year.
Game time at the Pan American Center is 7 p.m., and the game will air on CBS Sports Network and the Lobo Radio Network.
The Lobos come into this matchup at an impressive 9-1 this season, while the Aggies check in at just 5-6 on the young season.
New Mexico has already defeated the Aggies this season with a dominant 106-62 home win just under two weeks ago in the famous PIT in Albuquerque.
Having already secured a decisive victory in the season’s first matchup with a score of 106-62 on December 2 at The Pit, the Lobos set a historic mark, marking the second-largest margin of victory in the series.
Jaelen House led the charge for UNM with an impressive 28 points, including 26 in the first half, while Tru Washington contributed a career-high 21 points coming off the bench.
Currently holding a stellar 9-1 record for the season and riding an impressive eight-game win streak, the Lobos enter the upcoming game with momentum.
Game: New Mexico Lobos vs New Mexico State Aggies
Date: Friday, December 15, 2023
Location: Pan American Center Las Cruces, NM
TV: CBSSN
Stream: FuboTV — Get a free trial
Radio: Lobo Sports Network
Richard Pitno’s New Mexico Lobos are firing on all cylinders to start the season. They roll into this matchup at 9-1 and are currently listed at #24 in the NCAA Net rankings.
They won their eighth straight game last Saturday afternoon in a 93-76 win over Santa Clara. This was a balanced attack by the Logos, with five players scoring in double figures.
Donovan Dent led the way with 22 points, six rebounds, and four assists in an all-around effort.
Dent, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Week, leads New Mexico with an average of 17.6 points and 6.7 assists per game.
Dent has looked like anything but a sophomore this year and has picked up the slack as both Jelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr have dealt with nagging injuries.
Jemarl Baker Jr. finished with 17 points, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. JT Toppin, Tru Washington, and Isaac Mushila rounded out the double-digit scoring with 11 points each.
The Lobos had an impressive 18 steals in the game and forced 26 turnovers overall in an outstanding two-way effort.
Coach Pitino: “Defensively, it was terrific. To have 18 steals and force 26 turnovers, we are playing with amazing effort. The first half, we held them a long time without a basket, and that is the second game in a row we have done that. I am proud of our guys.
We are doing a lot of good things, especially today against a team we really respect. We wanted to speed them up and make them uncomfortable, and we did that.” Lobos head coach Richard Pitino said after the game,”
Net Rankings Update: Most MWC Teams Slip, New Mexico & Others Rise
Additionally, JT Toppin, a three-time Mountain West Freshman of the Week, ranks third nationally in field goal percentage at an impressive 73.0%.
The Lobos have been sound on both ends of the floor on their way to a 9-1 mark. They are 13th in the nation in points per game this season.
They are also 37th in field goal percentage and 112th in 3-point percentage in the country.
The Lobos don’t rely on the 3-point shot, ranked just 327th in points scored via the three-ball.
They are extremely efficient this year, ranked 22nd in assist-to-turnover ratio. The Lobos are solid defensively as well.
They are ranked 92nd in points allowed per game. The Lobos are an impressive 40th in defensive field goal percentage and 85th in 3-point defense.
New Mexico has done an impressive job of controlling the paint, ranked 22nd in total rebounds in the country.
On the other side, New Mexico State carries a 5-6 season record, maintaining a perfect 5-0 record at the Pan American Center.
The Aggies secured a comeback victory in the second half against Northern New Mexico with a 76-71 win on Tuesday night, keeping their unbeaten streak at home intact. Femi Odukale leads NMSU with an average of 12.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Top Performers for the NMSU Aggies: Christian Cook, averaging 10.9 points per game, and Ron Carpenter, averaging 10.7 points over the last ten games.
For the Lobos, Donovan Dent is averaging 17.6 points per game, and Freshman JT Toppin is averaging 12.7 points per game for the Lobos.
New Mexico has a +179 scoring differential, topping opponents by 17.9 points per game. It is putting up 86.1 points per game, 16th in college basketball, and is giving up 68.2 per outing to rank 116th in college basketball.
The Lobos post 11.7 more points per game (86.1) than the Aggies concede (74.4). Look for a decisive victory for the Lobos; they are just loaded this year, deep, some young players looking anything but young.
Following the Rio Grande Rivalry clash, the Lobos will return home to wrap up the non-conference schedule, facing UC Irvine on December 20 and Eastern New Mexico on December 29.
